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In one of my recent articles I stated that I did not think multi vitamins were necessary. I also said that it was very difficult to overdose on vitamins from food alone and that overdosing is normally the result of excessive vitamin supplement consumption. After reading these articles you probably think I am completely against the consumption of vitamin supplements. However, this is not the case. Whilst I am generally against multi vitamin supplements (for the reasons discussed in my article) I do feel that other vitamin supplements are valuable tools in certain situations. In this article I will be discussing four factors that can make vitamin supplementation necessary.
1) ALCOHOLISM:- Alcoholism and heavy alcohol consumption can lead to a person becoming deficient in any of the thirteen vitamins. This is sometimes due to the poor diet consumed by alcoholics but generally a result of organ damage that is caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Whilst I do not think vitamin supplements should be used to support heavy drinking they can be useful tools for recovering alcoholics. They may also be necessary for alcoholics who have suffered permanent damage to their liver, pancreas or intestinal tract, all of which make it more difficult for the body to absorb vitamins.
2) DISEASES AND GENETIC DISORDERS:- There are a number of diseases and genetic disorders that can affect your body’s ability to absorb vitamins. Stomach problems can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency because absorption of this vitamin requires a substance called intrinsic factor to be present in the intestine. If you have a problem with your stomach that inhibits the production of intrinsic fact then you may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B12 even if you are consuming the recommended daily allowance (RDA) through your diet. Cancer, chron’s disease and liver disease are other conditions that can contribute to a vitamin deficiency. Therefore, if you suffer from any conditions that affect your body’s ability to use vitamins you may need to take advantage of vitamin supplements.
3) MEDICATIONS:- There are a number of medications that can interfere with vitamin absorption. Certain antibiotics can destroy the bacteria responsible for producing vitamin B7 and vitamin K and this may contribute to a deficiency. Oral contraceptives and painkillers can impair your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B9. Anticoagulants (medicines that thin the blood and prevent it from clotting) can also inhibit the absorption of vitamin K. Therefore, if you are using any of the above medications you may need to supplement your diet with certain vitamins.
4) PREGNANCY:- During pregnancy your vitamin requirements will be increased. Not only will you need to get enough vitamins for yourself but you will also need to consume enough for your growing baby. Sometimes diet alone may not be enough to get the required vitamins for the two of you. In these situations vitamin supplements may be required.
Overall, I believe that diet should be the first choice when it comes to getting your vitamins. Supplements should not be used as an excuse for poor eating habits. However, I understand there are factors that can compromise your ability to get the required levels of vitamins from the foods you eat. In these situations vitamin supplements are useful and may even be necessary.
If you do think that you need vitamin supplements, go talk to your doctor first. As I have discussed previously you can overdose on vitamins and in most cases supplements are the cause. Your doctor will be able to advise you on which (if any) vitamin supplements you need based on your current health and any medications you are currently taking. Using this advice you can then get the vitamin supplementation you need without over doing it.
What do you guys think? Are there any other factors I have missed that may make vitamin supplementation necessary? Do you always try and get your vitamins from food sources?
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Although you should try and get your vitamins from food where possible this is not always possible. Sometimes supplementation is required. In this case you should check out Vitabase who offer a fantastic selection of vitamin supplements at fantastic prices:
About Tom
I would add a weight loss diet to your list :D But we’ve discussed this before,
Best
Tusc :D
Yes, I can see where all of those would make it necessary. I am lucky in that I take a whole food supplement that I love and no longer take vitamins!
Tusc – Good addition. Just be sure that you are only supplementing on the vitamins that you need.
Heidi – Thanks for your comments. Why do you take a whole food supplement? Your diet seems reasonably healthy.
Thankyou both for your comments.
Perfect advice and very wise Tom!
I am of the same standing – if you are eating right and by that I mean your diet consists of highly nutritious dense foods, primarily fruits and vegetables than by no means should they be putting in a supplement.
In our society we have become way too dependent on supplements, which are still let us not forget synthetic and full of dyes and other things, instead of looking at diet as the number one supplier of everything we need.
Also, I would add to your list and if you are interested look into orthomolecular medicine – it treats many, many conditions by using high doses of vitamins. Absolutely amazing results for mental health and cancers especially!!!!
Even at extremely high doses, overdose is literally impossible, especially that it uses the water-soluble vitamins. But again this is great as a natural therapy for people – and should not be considered an everyday part of your diet.
I think the key to vitamins is moderation. I am pregnant now so taking the ones prescribed by my doc, but before at the recommendation of one of my doctor friends, the only vitamins I took were Flinstones. I know that sounds funny for an adult to be taking them, but I know he wouldn’t steer me wrong either :)
Hi Evita – Thanks for your comments. I never even thought about the dyes and other synthetic elements of vitamin supplements. People are definitely way too dependent on supplements in our society. Some people spend more on them than they do on actual food. I’ve never looked into orthomolecular medicine but you know what you are talking about when it comes to natural health so I will have to check it out at some point. Thanks for the heads up.
Hey Chelle – Good choice. Doctors are trained in this field so can give you some good advice. However, I would still try get all your vitamins from your diet if possible and ditch the Flintstones vitamins. They may be a lower dosage but they are still not as good as real vitamin rich foods.
Thanks for the comments guys.
This is a very good follow up post. It gets tiring seeing so many one sided blogs on the internet as if they have some kind of point to prove. This post shows the other side of vitamin supplements which is why it’s so good. I’m in total agreement that for the vast majority vitamin supplements are not necessary but there are some people that can and do benefit. Good job pointing this out and creating a balanced view on the subject!
Thanks Bri. I try and give a full picture to all my topics as there very rarely one solution when it comes to all things fitness.
Hi! can anyone tell me if there is an on-line store in UK where can I find the Flinstones vitamins?
Thanks
I’m not sure Pedro. Can anyone else help him out?
Remember though try and get vitamins from your diet where possible and only go for the supplements when neccessary.
There was mention made about dyes being used in vitamins. If someone is going to use a multi- vitamin or multi-mineral they would be better off using one in capsule form over tablet form. The encapsulation process requires an added lubricant, usually in the form of silica , magnesium, or ascorbyl palmitate. There is no reason for the capsule to be colorful, that’s only for appearance. Tablets on the other hand require a manufacturing lubricant, a binding agent, and sometimes a deodorant, and often either a colorful coating or food coloring to make it look appealing. Flintstones chewables are some of the worst offenders because they also contain sweeteners and artificial flavoring.
One other factor that I believe necessitates the use of supplementation is the ability to deal with stress. Whether it is from one’s occupation, special circumstances or just difficulty in dealing with stress, supplementation can definitely help the body remain healthier.
Hey Aaron,
Thanks for the input. Some very good points. I’ve not really considered the impact of dyes in my articles so thanks for picking up my slack :-)
Tom